Reclosable bag and methods of forming and using same

ABSTRACT

An exemplary reclosable bag includes a first ply joined to a second ply to define a main bag portion having a compartment and a product receiving opening. A reclosing flap is connected to the main bag portion and is spaced apart from the product receiving opening. A reclosing material and a release material are applied to the bag and are arranged such that the reclosing material releasably adheres to the release material. The reclosing flap is movable between a passive position and an active position. A bag opening zone formed in the main bag portion proximate the reclosing flap may be opened to create a product retrieval opening for retrieving a product from the compartment. The product is returned to the compartment through the product retrieval opening, and the compartment is reclosed by moving the reclosing flap from the passive position to the active position.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and any other benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/646,947, filed May 15, 2012,and entitled “RESEALABLE BAG,” and U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/677,685, filed Jul. 31, 2012, and entitled “RECLOSABLE BAGAND METHODS OF FORMING AND USING SAME,” the entire disclosures of whichare incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to packaging and in particularto a reclosable bag and methods for forming a reclosable bag andreclosing a product in a reclosable bag.

BACKGROUND

Many consumers prefer to purchase products online or by telephone andhave the products shipped to them. Some products, including but notlimited to, clothing and other goods, are frequently shipped to aconsumer in a sealed bag. The sealed bag may be a one-time use bag,which the consumer will tear open to gain access to the product and thendispose of the torn bag. Alternatively, the sealed bag may be configuredas a multi-use bag that permits the consumer to access the product andthen, if the consumer is dissatisfied with the product, the consumer mayplace the product back into the bag, reseal the bag, and return theproduct to the seller by mail or courier service.

Current multi-use bags generally have an opening for loading andretrieving a product and a lip or tab to close the opening. The lip ortab generally includes two spaced apart lines of adhesive that arecovered by a separate release strip. A pair of lines of perforations areprovided through the lip or tab between the lines of adhesive. The pairof lines of perforations define an opening strip.

In use, a product may be loaded into the opening of the bag and onerelease strip may be removed to expose a line of adhesive. Next, the lipor tab is folded over the opening and pressed against the bag to adherethe lip or tab to the bag and thereby close the opening. When the bagcontaining the product is received, the consumer may open the bag andretrieve the product by pulling on the opening strip to break the linesof perforation. After inspecting the product the consumer may decidethat they want to return the product to the seller. If the consumerwants to return the product to the seller, the consumer may insert theproduct into the bag through the opening. Next, the consumer may removethe remaining release strip to expose the remaining line of adhesive.The consumer may then fold a portion of the lip or tab over the openingand press the lip or tab against the bag to adhere the lip or tab to thebag and thereby cover the opening. The consumer may then return thepackage to the seller by mail or courier service.

SUMMARY

The present application discloses a reclosable bag and methods forforming a reclosable bag and reclosing a product in a reclosable bag. Inan exemplary embodiment, the reclosable bag includes a first ply joinedto a second ply to define a main bag portion having a compartmentincluding a first side, a second side, a third side that extends betweenthe first side and the second side, and a product receiving opening thatis configured to be hermetically sealed. A reclosing flap is connectedto or on the main bag portion, and is spaced apart from the productreceiving opening. A reclosing material and a release material areapplied to the bag. For example, the reclosing material can be appliedto the reclosing flap and/or another portion of the bag, such as themain bag portion, and the release material can be applied to thereclosing flap and/or another portion of the bag, such as the main bagportion. The reclosing flap is configured to move between a passiveposition, where the reclosing material is releasably adhered to therelease material, and an active position, where the reclosing materialis adhered to a portion of the bag, such as the main bag portion or thereclosing flap.

In one exemplary embodiment, the reclosable bag also includes a bagopening zone formed in or on the main bag portion proximate thereclosing flap. The bag opening zone can take a wide variety ofdifferent forms. The bag opening zone may be defined by one or morelines or areas of weakness, an indicia that indicates where the bagshould be cut to open the bag, an adhesive, an openable connection, etc.The bag opening zone is configured to create a product retrieval openingto permit retrieval of a product from the compartment. The productretrieval opening is configured to allow the product to be returned tothe compartment through the product retrieval opening. When the productis returned to the compartment, the reclosing flap is moved from thepassive position to the active position such that the reclosing materialadheres to a portion of the bag and the product retrieval opening iscovered to reclose the compartment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bag;

FIG. 1A is a view of the reclosable bag taken along lines 1A-1A in FIG.1;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagcontaining a product;

FIG. 2A is a view of the reclosable bag containing a product taken alonglines 2A-2A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a product retrieval opening for retrieving the product;

FIG. 3A is a view of the reclosable bag showing a product retrievalopening taken along lines 3A-3A in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing the product removed from the bag;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing the product being returned to the bag;

FIG. 5A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the product beingreturned to the bag taken along lines 5A-5A in FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap being moved from a passive position to expose areclosing material;

FIG. 6A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flap beingmoved from a passive position to expose the reclosing material takenalong lines 6A-6A in FIG. 6;

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap in an active position and a product retrievalopening being covered;

FIG. 7A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flap inthe active position and the product retrieval opening being coveredtaken along lines 7A-7A in FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagcontaining a product;

FIG. 8A is a view of the reclosable bag containing a product showing areclosing flap sealed to a first ply of the bag taken along line 8A-8Ain FIG. 8;

FIG. 8B is a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary reclosable bagcontaining a product showing a reclosing flap sealed to a first ply anda second ply of the bag;

FIG. 8C is a view of an exemplary reclosable bag containing a productshowing a reclosing flap spaced apart from a first ply of the bag;

FIG. 8D is a view of an exemplary reclosable bag containing a productshowing a reclosing flap spaced apart from a first ply of the bag;

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap being moved from a passive position to expose areclosing material;

FIG. 9A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flap beingmoved from the passive position to expose the reclosing material takenalong lines 9A-9A in FIG. 9;

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap in an active position and a product retrievalopening being covered;

FIG. 10A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flap inthe active position and the product retrieval opening being coveredtaken along lines 10A-10A in FIG. 10;

FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagcontaining a product;

FIG. 11A is a view of the reclosable bag containing a product takenalong lines 11A-11A in FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap being moved from a passive position to expose areclosing material;

FIG. 12A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flapbeing moved from a passive position to expose the reclosing materialtaken along lines 12A-12A in FIG. 12;

FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap in an active position and a product retrievalopening being covered;

FIG. 13A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flap inthe active position and the product retrieval opening being coveredtaken along lines 13A-13A in FIG. 13;

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagcontaining a product;

FIG. 14A is a view of the reclosable bag containing a product showing areclosing flap sealed to a main bag portion of the bag taken along line14A-14A in FIG. 14;

FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap being moved from a passive position to expose areclosing material;

FIG. 15A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flapbeing moved from a passive position to expose the reclosing materialtaken along lines 15A-15A in FIG. 15;

FIG. 16 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap in an active position and a product retrievalopening being covered;

FIG. 16A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flap inthe active position and the product retrieval opening being coveredtaken along lines 16A-16A in FIG. 16;

FIG. 17 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bag;

FIG. 17A is a view of the reclosable bag taken along lines 17A-17A inFIG. 17;

FIG. 18 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagcontaining a product;

FIG. 18A is a view of the reclosable bag containing a product takenalong lines 18A-18A in FIG. 18;

FIG. 19 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap being moved from a passive position to expose areclosing material;

FIG. 19A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flapbeing moved from a passive position to expose the reclosing materialtaken along lines 19A-19A in FIG. 19;

FIG. 20 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap in an active position and a product retrievalopening being covered;

FIG. 20A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flap inthe active position and the product retrieval opening being coveredtaken along lines 20A-20A in FIG. 20;

FIG. 21 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bag witha reclosing flap sealed to a main bag portion of the bag;

FIG. 21A is a view of the reclosable bag with a reclosing flap sealed toa main bag portion of the bag taken along lines 21A-21A in FIG. 21;

FIG. 22 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagcontaining a product;

FIG. 22A is a view of the reclosable bag containing a product showing areclosing flap sealed to a main bag portion of the bag taken along line22A-22A in FIG. 22;

FIG. 23 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap being moved from a passive position to expose areclosing material;

FIG. 23A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flapbeing moved from a passive position to expose the reclosing materialtaken along lines 23A-23A in FIG. 23;

FIG. 24 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap in an active position and a product retrievalopening being covered;

FIG. 24A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flap inthe active position and the product retrieval opening being coveredtaken along lines 24A-24A in FIG. 24;

FIG. 25 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bag;

FIG. 25A is a view of the reclosable bag taken along lines 25A-25A inFIG. 25;

FIG. 26 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagcontaining a product;

FIG. 26A is a view of the reclosable bag containing a product takenalong lines 26A-26A in FIG. 26;

FIG. 27 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap being moved from a passive position to expose areclosing material;

FIG. 27A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flapbeing moved from a passive position to expose the reclosing materialtaken along lines 27A-27A in FIG. 27;

FIG. 28 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary reclosable bagshowing a reclosing flap in an active position and a product retrievalopening being covered;

FIG. 28A is a view of the reclosable bag showing the reclosing flap inthe active position and the product retrieval opening being coveredtaken along lines 28A-28A in FIG. 28;

FIG. 29 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary elongated web ofpreformed interconnected reclosable bags; and

FIG. 30 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary elongated web ofpreformed interconnected reclosable bags.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application relates to a reclosable bag 10 and methods forforming a reclosable bag 10 and reclosing a product 50 in a reclosablebag 10. The reclosable bag 10 is particularly useful as a shippingpackage for a product 50 that is shipped to a consumer. In addition, thereclosable bag 10 functions as a “multi-use” bag in that the consumermay use the reclosable bag 10 as a return shipping package to return anunwanted or defective product 50 to the seller.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 1A, an exemplary embodiment of a reclosable bag10 includes a first ply 12 and a second ply 14. The first and secondplies 12, 14 may be two separate plies, or a single ply that is folded.As seen in the example, the first ply 12 is joined to the second ply 14to define a main bag portion 31 having a compartment 20 including afirst side 22, a second side 24, a third side 26 that extends betweenthe first side 22 and the second side 24, and a product receivingopening 28 that is configured to be hermetically sealed. In certainembodiments, the first ply 12 may be hermetically joined to the secondply 14 by various techniques including, but not limited to, heatsealing, ultrasonic welding, gluing, etc. Although FIGS. 1 and 1Aillustrate the main bag portion 31 as having a single compartment 20,the main bag portion 31 may have any number of compartments.

The first ply 12 and the second ply 14 may be formed of any suitablematerial. Examples of suitable materials include, but are not limitedto, plastic materials, polyethylene, cellophane, vinyl films, pliofilms,cellulose acetate film, polystyrene, polypropylene, and virtually anytype of heat sealable or ultrasonic weldable material.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1 and 1A, the reclosable bag 10 alsoincludes a reclosing flap 30. In certain embodiments, the reclosing flap30 may be connected to one or more of the first ply 12 and the secondply 14. For example, the reclosing flap 30 may be a separate piece ofmaterial that is connected to the first ply 12 or the second ply 14, orboth the first ply 12 and the second ply 14, such as the third side 26of the compartment 20. In other embodiments, the reclosing flap 30 maybe integral with the first ply 12 or the second ply 14. For instance,the first ply 12 may be formed with a longer dimension (e.g., length orwidth) than the second ply 14 such that when the first ply 12 and thesecond ply 14 are joined, the longer dimension of the first ply 12 mayform the reclosing flap 30. In certain other embodiments, the reclosingflap 30 is connected to or on the main bag portion 31 and is spacedapart from the product receiving opening 28. As seen in FIG. 1A, thereclosing flap 30 is spaced apart from the product receiving opening 28,and the reclosing flap 30 extends from the third side 26 (also seen wellin FIG. 6A).

The reclosable bag 10 includes a reclosing material 32. The reclosingmaterial 32 may be applied to the bag 10 in a variety of different ways.For example, the reclosing material 32 may be applied to a portion ofthe reclosing flap 30 and/or to the main bag portion 31. In theembodiments illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 1A and FIGS. 11 and 11A, thereclosing material 32 is applied to a surface of the reclosing flap 30.The reclosing material 32 may take a wide variety of different forms.For example, the reclosing material 32 may be an adhesive. In certainembodiments, the reclosing material 32 is a pressure sensitive adhesive.For instance, the reclosing material 32 may be a pressure sensitiveadhesive selected from the group consisting of an acrylic basedadhesive, a methacrylate based adhesive, a polyurethane based adhesive,a rubber based adhesive, a styrene copolymer based adhesive, a siliconebased adhesive, and combinations thereof. However, those with skill inthe art will appreciate that various types of adhesives may be utilizedso long as the reclosing material 32 permits the reclosing flap 30 toadhere to an outer surface of a portion of the bag 10, such as one ofthe first ply 12 or the second ply 14.

The reclosable bag 10 includes a release material 34. The releasematerial 34 may be applied to the bag 10 in a variety of different ways.For example, the release material may be applied to the main bag portion31 and/or the reclosing flap 30. The release material 34 may be printed,laminated, sprayed, or otherwise deposited and/or adhered to the mainbag portion 31 and/or the reclosing flap 30. In the embodimentillustrated by FIGS. 1 and 1A, the release material 34 is applied to asurface of the main bag portion 31. In the embodiment illustrated byFIGS. 11 and 11A, the release material 34 is applied to a surface of thereclosing flap 30. The release material 34 may take a variety ofdifferent forms. In certain embodiments, the release material 34 may bea chemical release material selected from the group consisting ofpolyacrylates, carbamates, polyolefins, fluorocarbons, chromium stearatecomplexes, silicones, and combinations thereof. As will be discussed inmore detail below, the reclosing flap 30 is configured to move between apassive position where the reclosing material 32 is releasably adheredto the release material 34, and an active position where the reclosingmaterial 32 is adhered to a portion of the bag 10 to reclose the bag 10.For example, the reclosing material 32 may adhere to the main bagportion 31 and/or the reclosing material 32 may adhere to the reclosingflap 30. In the example illustrated by FIG. 7A, the reclosing material32 is adhered to the main bag portion 31 at the outer surface of thefirst ply 12. In certain embodiments, the selection of the reclosingmaterial 32 and the release material 34 is such that the adhesionbetween the reclosing material 32 and the release material 34 is strongenough to prevent unintentional separation during transit. For example,when the reclosing material 32 and the release material 34 are inreleasable adhesive communication, the adhesion may be characterized ashaving a peel strength of 1 N/cm to 5 N/cm to separate the reclosingmaterial 32 from the release material 34.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the reclosable bag 10 further includes a bagopening zone 40 formed in or on the main bag portion 31 proximate thereclosing flap 30. The bag opening zone 40 can take a wide variety ofdifferent forms. For example, the bag opening zone 40 may be defined byone or more lines or areas of weakness, an indicia that indicates wherethe bag 10 should be cut to open the bag 10, an adhesive, an openableconnection, etc. Any arrangement that secures the product 50 in the bag10 during transit, but allows the consumer to easily open the bag 10 canbe employed. A line or area of weakness may be a line or lines ofperforations through a portion of the main bag portion 31, a score lineor lines that weaken a portion of the main bag portion 31 along a lineor area, or other processing known in the art that weakens a portion ofthe main bag portion 31 to allow the bag 10 to be opened.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 2A, an exemplary reclosable bag 10containing a product 50 is illustrated. The product 50 is loaded intothe compartment 20 through the product receiving opening 28, seen inFIG. 1A, and then the product receiving opening 28 is sealed, as shownby seal 42, to retain the product 50. In the example, the seal 42extends from the first side 22 to the second side 24 to seal thecompartment 20. In another embodiment, the seal 42 may not extend allthe way from the first side 22 to the second side 24 or may beintermittent to allow communication between the compartment 20 andexternal air or the compartment 20 and another optional compartment ofthe reclosable bag 10. In certain embodiments, the seal 42 may be formedby various techniques including, but not limited to, heat sealing,ultrasonic welding, gluing, etc. Virtually any type of product 50 may beloaded into the reclosable bag 10 for delivery to a consumer. Examplesof packaging machines that may be used to form the seal 42 are disclosedby U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,654,064; 8,069,635; and 5,743,070, as is describedin more detail below. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,654,064; 8,069,635; and 5,743,070are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

When the reclosable bag 10 containing a product 50 is received, theconsumer may open the reclosable bag 10 to retrieve the product 50. Asseen in FIGS. 3 and 3A, access to the product 50 is provided by the bagopening zone 40, which is configured to be broken or otherwise opened tocreate a product retrieval opening 44 to permit retrieval of the product50 from the compartment 20, as indicated by the directional arrow. Incertain embodiments, the bag opening zone 40 may extend from the firstside 22 to the second side 24 to provide a larger opening, while inother embodiments the bag opening zone 40 may be intermittent to providea plurality of openings that provide access to a plurality ofcompartments.

Referring now to FIG. 4, after the consumer retrieves the product 50from the compartment 20, the consumer may inspect the product 50. Uponinspection, the consumer may determine that the product 50 is defective,or the consumer may decide that they do not want or do not need theproduct 50. The reclosable bag 10 allows the consumer to return theproduct 50 to the seller without having to utilize any additionalpackaging materials (e.g., packaging tape) and without generating anywaste. As seen in FIGS. 5 and 5A, the product retrieval opening 44 isconfigured to allow the product 50 to be returned to the compartment 20through the product retrieval opening 44, as indicated by thedirectional arrow. In the illustrated embodiment, the product 50 isreturned to the compartment 20 at an opening (i.e., the productretrieval opening 44) that is different from the opening (i.e., theproduct receiving opening 28) through which the product 50 wasoriginally loaded into the compartment 20.

When the product 50 has been returned to the compartment 20, thereclosable bag 10 may be reclosed to return the product 50 to theseller. As shown in FIG. 5A, the reclosing flap 30 is in the passiveposition where the reclosing material 32 is releasably adhered to therelease material 34. As indicated by the directional arrow in FIGS. 6and 6A, the reclosing flap 30 is movable from the passive position bypulling on the reclosing flap 30 to separate the reclosing material 32from the release material 34. When the reclosing flap 30 is moved fromthe passive position, the reclosing material 32 is exposed. Then thereclosing flap 30 may be moved to the active position such that thereclosing material 32 is brought into contact with and adheres to aportion of the bag 10, such as an outer surface of the main bag portion31, as illustrated in FIG. 7A. After the reclosing flap 30 is moved tothe active position, the product retrieval opening 44 is covered toreclose the compartment 20 with the product 50 retained therein, as seenin FIGS. 7 and 7A. Now that the product 50 is within the compartment 20and the compartment 20 has been reclosed, the consumer may return theproduct 50 to the seller by mail or courier service.

Referring now to FIGS. 8, 8A, and 8B, an additional exemplary reclosablebag 10 is shown. In this example, the reclosable bag 10 includes areclosing flap 30 that is connected to the first ply 12 and/or thesecond ply 14. For example, the reclosing flap 30 can be connected tothe first ply 12 and/or the second ply 14 by a reclosing flap seal 36.In certain other embodiments, a portion of the reclosing flap 30 may besealed to another portion of the reclosing flap 30. The reclosing flapseal 36 prevents the reclosing flap 30 from moving from the passiveposition during transit so that the reclosing material 32 is notunintentionally exposed. In the example of FIG. 8A, the reclosing flap30 is sealed to the first ply 12. As seen in the example of FIG. 8B, thereclosing flap 30 is sealed to both the first ply 12 and the second ply14. Again, various sealing techniques known to those of skill in the artmay be utilized to form the reclosing flap seal 36 including, but notlimited to, heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, gluing, etc. Although thereclosing flap seal 36 is illustrated as extending from the first side22 to the second side 24, in another embodiment, the reclosing flap seal36 may not extend all the way from the first side 22 to the second side24 or may be intermittent so long as the reclosing flap seal 36 preventsthe reclosing flap 30 from moving from the passive position andunintentionally exposing the reclosing material 32.

With continued reference to FIGS. 8, 8A, and 8B, in this example thereclosing flap 30 is formed with a line or area of reduced strength 38to permit separation of the reclosing flap 30 from the main bag portion31. The line or area of reduced strength 38 may be a line or lines ofperforations, a score line or lines, or other configurations thatpromote separation that are known to those of skill in the art. As withthe previous examples, the product 50 may be removed from thecompartment 20 by opening the bag opening zone 40 to create the productretrieval opening 44 to permit retrieval of the product 50 from thecompartment 20. After retrieving and inspecting the product 50, theconsumer may return the product 50 to the compartment 20 through theproduct retrieval opening 44.

As seen in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the reclosing flap 30 is in the passiveposition where the reclosing material 32 is releasably adhered to therelease material 34. FIGS. 8C and 8D illustrate another exemplaryembodiment where the reclosing material 32 is not adhered to the releasematerial 34. In the example illustrated by FIGS. 8C and 8D, thereclosing material 32 is adjacent to, but spaced apart from the releasematerial 34. As such, the release material 34 is configured to preventthe reclosing material 32 from permanently adhering to another portionof the bag 10 when the reclosing flap 30 is in the passive position inthe FIGS. 8C and 8D embodiments. The spaced apart configuration of thereclosing material 32 and the release material 34 of FIGS. 8C and 8D canbe applied to any of the embodiments where the reclosing flap 30 isconnected to another portion of the bag 10 in the passive position (Seefor example, FIGS. 14A and 21A). In the embodiments illustrated by FIGS.8C and 8D, the reclosing material 32 may come into contact andreleasably adhere to the release material 34 during use or the reclosingmaterial 32 and the release material 34 may be configured such thatreclosing material 32 does not adhere to the release material 34 whenthey come into contact.

As indicated by the directional arrow in FIGS. 9 and 9A, the reclosingflap 30 is movable from the passive position by: first, breaking theline of reduced strength 38 to separate the reclosing flap 30 from themain bag portion 31; and next, pulling on the reclosing flap 30 toseparate the reclosing material 32 from the release material 34. Whenthe reclosing flap 30 is moved from the passive position, the reclosingmaterial 32 is exposed. Then the reclosing flap 30 may be moved to theactive position where the reclosing material 32 is brought into contactwith and adheres to an outer surface of the main bag portion 31, asillustrated in FIG. 10A. After the reclosing flap 30 is moved to theactive position, the product retrieval opening 44 is covered to reclosethe compartment 20 with the product 50 retained therein, as seen inFIGS. 10 and 10A. When the product 50 is within the compartment 20 andthe compartment 20 has been reclosed, the consumer may return theproduct to the seller by mail or courier service.

Referring now to FIGS. 11-13A, an additional exemplary reclosable bag 10is illustrated. In this particular example, the reclosing material 32and the release material 34 are both applied to a surface of thereclosing flap 30. As seen in FIG. 11A, the reclosing flap 30 is in thepassive position with the reclosing material 32 releasably adhered tothe release material 34. As with the first example, the product 50 maybe removed from the compartment 20 by opening the bag opening zone 40 tocreate the product retrieval opening 44 to permit retrieval of theproduct 50 from the compartment 20. After retrieving and inspecting theproduct 50, the consumer may return the product 50 to the compartment 20through the product retrieval opening 44.

As indicated by the directional arrow in FIGS. 12 and 12A, the reclosingflap 30 is movable from the passive position by pulling on the reclosingflap 30 to separate the reclosing material 32 from the release material34. When the reclosing flap 30 is moved from the passive position, thereclosing material 32 is exposed. Then the reclosing flap 30 may bemoved to the active position where the reclosing material 32 is broughtinto contact with and adheres to an outer surface of the main bagportion 31, as illustrated in FIG. 13A. After the reclosing flap 30 ismoved to the active position, the product retrieval opening 44 iscovered to reclose the compartment 20 with the product 50 retainedtherein, as seen in FIGS. 13 and 13A. When the product 50 is within thecompartment 20 and the compartment 20 has been reclosed, the consumermay return the product to the seller by mail or courier service.

An additional exemplary reclosable bag 10 is illustrated in FIGS.14-16A. In this example, the reclosing material 32 and the releasematerial 34 are both applied to a surface of the reclosing flap 30, anda portion of the reclosing flap 30 is sealed to another portion of thereclosing flap 30, as indicated by reclosing flap seal 36. As discussedabove, the reclosing flap seal 36 prevents the reclosing flap 30 frommoving from the passive position during transit so that the reclosingmaterial 32 is not unintentionally exposed. The reclosing flap seal 36may be formed by various techniques known to those skilled in the artincluding, but not limited to, heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, gluing,etc. Although the reclosing flap seal 36 is illustrated as extendingfrom the first side 22 to the second side 24, in certain otherembodiments, the reclosing flap seal 36 may not extend all the way fromthe first side 22 to the second side 24 or may be intermittent so longas the reclosing flap seal 36 prevents the reclosing flap 30 from movingfrom the passive position and unintentionally exposing the reclosingmaterial 32.

With continued reference to FIGS. 14-16A, in this example the reclosingflap 30 is formed with a line or area of reduced strength 38 to permitseparation of a portion of the reclosing flap 30 from another portion ofthe reclosing flap 30. The line or area of reduced strength 38 may be aline or lines of perforations, a score line or lines, or otherconfigurations that promote separation that are known to those of skillin the art. As with the previous examples, the product 50 may be removedfrom the compartment 20 by opening the bag opening zone 40 to create theproduct retrieval opening 44 to permit retrieval of the product 50 fromthe compartment 20. After retrieving and inspecting the product 50, theconsumer may return the product 50 to the compartment 20 through theproduct retrieval opening 44.

As seen in FIGS. 14 and 14A, the reclosing flap 30 is in the passiveposition where the reclosing material 32 is releasably adhered to therelease material 34. As indicated by the directional arrow in FIGS. 15and 15A, the reclosing flap 30 is movable from the passive position by:first, breaking the line of reduced strength 38 to separate a portion ofthe reclosing flap 30 from another portion of the reclosing flap 30; andnext, pulling on the reclosing flap 30 to separate the reclosingmaterial 32 from the release material 34. When the reclosing flap 30 ismoved from the passive position, the reclosing material 32 is exposed.Then the reclosing flap 30 may be moved to the active position where thereclosing material 32 is brought into contact with and adheres to anouter surface of the main bag portion 31, as illustrated in FIG. 16A.After the reclosing flap 30 is moved to the active position, the productretrieval opening 44 is covered to reclose the compartment 20 with theproduct 50 retained therein, as seen in FIGS. 16 and 16A. When theproduct 50 is within the compartment 20 and the compartment 20 has beenreclosed, the consumer may return the product to the seller by mail orcourier service.

Referring now to FIGS. 17-20A, another exemplary reclosable bag 10 isshown. In this particular example, the bag opening zone 40 is formed inor on the main bag portion 31 proximate the reclosing flap 30 andfurther proximate the third side 26. By positioning the bag opening zone40 further proximate the third side 26, more space in the compartment 20is available when the consumer returns the product 50 to the compartment20 through the product retrieval opening 44, which, as explained above,is created by opening the bag opening zone 40. An additional advantageof positioning the bag opening zone 40 further proximate the third side26 in this example is that the reclosing flap 30 covers the bag openingzone 40 and protects the bag opening zone 40 from being unintentionallyopened during transit, thereby preventing loss of the product 50.

In general, the exemplary reclosable bag 10 illustrated in FIGS. 17-20Ais used and functions in a manner similar to the previously describedexemplary reclosable bags 10. For example, the product 50 is loaded intothe compartment 20 through the product receiving opening 28, seen inFIG. 17A, and then the product receiving opening 28 is sealed, as shownby seal 42 in FIGS. 18 and 18A, to retain the product 50. As seen inFIGS. 18 and 18A, the reclosing flap 30 is in the passive position withthe reclosing material 32 releasably adhered to the release material 34.

As indicated by the directional arrow in FIGS. 19 and 19A, the reclosingflap 30 is movable from the passive position by pulling on the reclosingflap 30 to separate the reclosing material 32 from the release material34. When the reclosing flap 30 is moved from the passive position, thereclosing material 32 is exposed and the consumer can access the bagopening zone 40. The product 50 may be removed from the compartment 20by opening the bag opening zone 40 to create the product retrievalopening 44 to permit retrieval of the product 50 from the compartment20. After retrieving and inspecting the product 50, the consumer mayreturn the product 50 to the compartment 20 through the productretrieval opening 44. When the product 50 is returned to the compartment20 the reclosing flap 30 may be moved to the active position where thereclosing material 32 is brought into contact with and adheres to anouter surface of the main bag portion 31, as illustrated in FIG. 20A.After the reclosing flap 30 is moved to the active position, the productretrieval opening 44 is covered to reclose the compartment 20 with theproduct 50 retained therein, as seen in FIGS. 20 and 20A. When theproduct 50 is within the compartment 20 and the compartment 20 has beenreclosed, the consumer may return the product to the seller by mail orcourier service.

Referring now to FIGS. 21-24A, an additional exemplary reclosable bag 10is illustrated. In this example, the bag opening zone 40 is formed in oron the main bag portion 31 proximate the reclosing flap 30 and furtherproximate the third side 26. In addition, in this example, a portion ofthe reclosing flap 30 may be sealed to the first ply 12, as seen in FIG.21A, and/or the second ply 14, as indicated by reclosing flap seal 36.In certain other embodiments, a portion of the reclosing flap 30 may besealed to another portion of the reclosing flap 30. Again, bypositioning the bag opening zone 40 further proximate the third side 26,more space in the compartment 20 is available when the consumer returnsthe product 50 to the compartment 20 through the product retrievalopening 44, which is created by opening the bag opening zone 40. Anadditional advantage of positioning the bag opening zone 40 furtherproximate the third side 26 and sealing a portion of the reclosing flap30 to the first ply 12 and/or the second ply 14 in this example is thatthe reclosing flap 30 covers the bag opening zone 40 and protects thebag opening zone 40 from being unintentionally opened during transit,thereby preventing loss of the product 50. Moreover, by sealing aportion of the reclosing flap 30 to the first ply 12 and/or the secondply 14, the reclosing flap 30 is prevented from unintentionally movingfrom the passive position during transit so that the reclosing material32 is not unintentionally exposed.

With continued reference to FIGS. 21-24A, in this example the reclosingflap 30 is formed with a line or area of reduced strength 38 to permitseparation of a portion of the reclosing flap 30 from the main bagportion 31, such as the first ply 12 and/or the second ply 14. Aspreviously discussed, the line or area of reduced strength 38 may be aline or lines of perforations, a score line or lines, or otherconfigurations that promote separation that are known to those of skillin the art.

Generally, the exemplary reclosable bag 10 illustrated in FIGS. 21-24Ais used and functions in a manner similar to the previously describedexemplary reclosable bags 10. For example, the product 50 is loaded intothe compartment 20 through the product receiving opening 28, seen inFIG. 21A, and then the product receiving opening 28 is sealed, as shownby seal 42 in FIGS. 22 and 22A, to retain the product 50. As seen inFIGS. 22 and 22A, the reclosing flap 30 is in the passive position withthe reclosing material 32 releasably adhered to the release material 34.

As indicated by the directional arrow in FIGS. 23 and 23A, the reclosingflap 30 is movable from the passive position by: first, breaking theline of reduced strength 38 to separate the reclosing flap 30 from themain bag portion 31; and next, pulling on the reclosing flap 30 toseparate the reclosing material 32 from the release material 34. Whenthe reclosing flap 30 is moved from the passive position, the reclosingmaterial 32 is exposed and the consumer can access the bag opening zone40. The product 50 may be removed from the compartment 20 by opening thebag opening zone 40 to create the product retrieval opening 44 to permitretrieval of the product 50 from the compartment 20. After retrievingand inspecting the product 50, the consumer may return the product 50 tothe compartment 20 through the product retrieval opening 44. When theproduct 50 is returned to the compartment 20 the reclosing flap 30 maybe moved to the active position where the reclosing material 32 isbrought into contact with and adheres to an outer surface of the mainbag portion 31, as illustrated in FIG. 24A. After the reclosing flap 30is moved to the active position, the product retrieval opening 44 iscovered to reclose the compartment 20 with the product 50 retainedtherein, as seen in FIGS. 24 and 24A. When the product 50 is within thecompartment 20 and the compartment 20 has been reclosed, the consumermay return the product to the seller by mail or courier service.

An additional exemplary reclosable bag 10 is illustrated in FIGS.25-28A. In this example, the bag opening zone 40 is formed in or on themain bag portion 31 proximate the reclosing flap 30 and furtherproximate the third side 26. In addition, in this example, the reclosingmaterial 32 is applied to the main bag portion 31 and the releasematerial 34 is applied to the reclosing flap 30, as seen in FIG. 25A. Aspreviously discussed, by positioning the bag opening zone 40 furtherproximate the third side 26, more space in the compartment 20 isavailable when the consumer returns the product 50 to the compartment 20through the product retrieval opening 44. Moreover, when the bag openingzone 40 is positioned further proximate the third side 26, the reclosingflap 30 covers the bag opening zone 40 and protects the bag opening zone40 from being unintentionally opened during transit, thereby preventingloss of the product 50.

The exemplary reclosable bag 10 illustrated in FIGS. 25-28A is used andfunctions in a manner similar to the previously described exemplaryreclosable bags 10. For example, the product 50 is loaded into thecompartment 20 through the product receiving opening 28, seen in FIG.25A, and then the product receiving opening 28 is sealed, as shown byseal 42 in FIGS. 26 and 26A, to retain the product 50. As seen in FIGS.26 and 26A, the reclosing flap 30 is in the passive position with thereclosing material 32 releasably adhered to the release material 34.

As indicated by the directional arrow in FIGS. 27 and 27A, the reclosingflap 30 is movable from the passive position by pulling on the reclosingflap 30 to separate the reclosing material 32 and the release material34. When the reclosing flap 30 is moved from the passive position, thereclosing material 32 is exposed and the consumer can access the bagopening zone 40. The product 50 may be removed from the compartment 20by opening the bag opening zone 40 to create the product retrievalopening 44 to permit retrieval of the product 50 from the compartment20. After retrieving and inspecting the product 50, the consumer mayreturn the product 50 to the compartment 20 through the productretrieval opening 44. When the product 50 is returned to the compartment20 the reclosing flap 30 may be moved to the active position where thereclosing material 32 is brought into contact with and adheres toanother portion of the bag 10, such as the main bag portion 31 and/orthe reclosing flap 30, as illustrated in FIG. 28A. After the reclosingflap 30 is moved to the active position, the product retrieval opening44 is covered to reclose the compartment 20 with the product 50 retainedtherein, as seen in FIGS. 28 and 28A. When the product 50 is within thecompartment 20 and the compartment 20 has been reclosed, the consumermay return the product to the seller by mail or courier service.

Referring now to FIGS. 29 and 30, exemplary embodiments of a web 60, 70of preformed reclosable bags 10 are shown. The reclosable bags 10illustrated by FIGS. 29 and 30 may be made in accordance with any of theembodiments disclosed above. Further, the reclosable bags 10 illustratedby FIGS. 29 and 30 may include any combination or subcombination of thefeatures of the bags 10 disclosed above. In the example shown in FIG.29, the web 60 of preformed reclosable bags 10 is configured such thatthe reclosing flap 30 of a first reclosable bag 10 is adjacent to theproduct receiving opening 28 of a second reclosable bag 10 (i.e., thepreformed reclosable bags 10 are connected top-to-bottom). As seen inFIG. 29, the preformed reclosable bags 10 are connected to one anotherby, and are configured to be separated from one another along, a line ofweakness 62, such as a line of perforations. The web 60 may be suppliedon a roll or in a folded state for use with a packaging machine thatloads a product 50 into each preformed reclosable bag 10, seals theproduct 50 in the bag 10, and optionally separates the loaded bag 10from the remainder of the web 60. An exemplary packaging machine forloading a product 50 into each preformed reclosable bag 10 of the web 60is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,654,064 and 8,069,635 to Riccardi etal., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

As seen in the example shown in FIG. 30, the web 70 of preformedreclosable bags 10 is configured such that the first side 22 of a firstreclosable bag 10 is adjacent to the second side of a second reclosablebag 10 (i.e., the preformed reclosable bags 10 are connectedside-to-side). The web 70 of preformed reclosable bags 10 are connectedto one another by, and are configured to be separated from one anotheralong, a line of weakness 72, such as a line of perforations. As seen inFIG. 30, each line of weakness 72 extends the entire width of the web 70to promote complete separation of each preformed reclosable bag 10. Theweb 70 may be supplied on a roll or in a folded state for use with apackaging machine that loads a product 50 into each preformed reclosablebag 10. In certain embodiments, the sealed first side 22 and sealedsecond side 24 do not extend the entire width of the web 70. The plies12,14 may be sealed or otherwise connected at a top portion 71 of theweb 70. A packaging machine may include a slitter that splits the topportion 71 of the web 70 to create a product receiving opening 28 tofacilitate the loading of a product 50. An exemplary packaging machinefor loading a product 50 into each preformed reclosable bag 10 of theweb 70 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,070 to Lerner et al., whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In an exemplary embodiment, a method of forming a reclosable bag 10containing a product 50 includes joining a first ply 12 to a second ply14. In certain embodiments, the first and second plies 12,14 may be twoseparate plies, or a single ply that is folded. The joined first ply 12and second ply 14 define a main bag portion 31 having a compartment 20including a first side 22, a second side 24, a third side 26 thatextends between the first side 22 and the second side 24, and a productreceiving opening 28. A reclosing flap 30 is connected to or on the mainbag portion 31, such as at or on the third side 26, and is spaced apartfrom the product receiving opening 28. As previously mentioned, thefirst ply 12 and the second ply 14 may be joined utilizing varioustechniques known to those of skill in the art including, but not limitedto, heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, gluing with adhesives, etc. Incertain embodiments, a flattened tube of material may be utilizedinstead of a first ply 12 and a second ply 14, wherein one of the openends of the flattened tube may be sealed prior to loading a product 50therein.

In another step of the exemplary method, a bag opening zone 40 is formedin or on the main bag portion 31 proximate the reclosing flap 30. Asdiscussed above, the bag opening zone 40 may be defined by one or morelines or areas of weakness, an indicia that indicates where the bag 10should be cut to open the bag 10, an adhesive, an openable connection,etc.

In yet another step of the exemplary method, a reclosing material 32 isapplied to the bag 10. In certain embodiments, the reclosing material 32may be printed directly onto a surface of the bag 10, such as a surfaceof the main bag portion 31 or a surface of the reclosing flap 30. Yet,in other embodiments, the reclosing material 32 may be configured as adouble-sided adhesive that is automatically or manually pressed onto asurface of the bag 10, such as a surface of the main bag portion 31 or asurface of the reclosing flap 30.

In an additional step of the exemplary method, a release material 34 isapplied to the bag 10. In certain embodiments, the release material 34may be printed directly onto a surface of the bag 10, such as a surfaceof the main bag portion 31 or a surface of the reclosing flap 30. Afterthe reclosing material 32 is applied onto a surface of the bag 10 andthe release material 34 is applied onto a surface of the bag 10, thereclosing flap 30 is moved to bring the reclosing material 32 intocontact with the release material 34 to releasably adhere the reclosingmaterial 32 to the release material 34.

After the reclosable bag 10 has been formed, a product 50 is loaded intothe compartment 20 through the product receiving opening 28. When theproduct 50 has been loaded into the compartment 20, the productreceiving opening 28 is sealed to retain the product 50 therein. Aspreviously described, the product receiving opening 28 may be sealedutilizing various techniques known to those of skill in the artincluding, but not limited to, heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, gluingwith an adhesive, etc.

As will be appreciated, the arrangement of the reclosing material 32 andthe release material 34 on the bag 10 eliminate the need for therelatively costly release strips utilized in conventional reclosablebags. Moreover, there is no waste material generated when thecompartment 20 is accessed to retrieve the product 50 or when theconsumer returns the product 50 to the compartment 20 and recloses thecompartment 20 to return the product 50 to the seller.

In certain embodiments, the exemplary method of forming a reclosable bag10 containing a product 50 may include the additional steps of: forminga line or area of reduced strength 38 in the reclosing flap 30, andsealing a portion of the reclosing flap 30 to the first ply 12 and/orthe second ply 14, or another portion of the reclosing flap 30. The lineor area of reduced strength 38 may be a line or lines of perforations, ascore line or lines, or other configurations that promote separationthat are known to those of skill in the art. As mentioned above, bysealing a portion of the reclosing flap 30 to the first ply 12 and/orthe second ply 14, or another portion of the reclosing flap 30, thereclosing flap 30 is prevented from moving from the passive positionduring transit so that the reclosing material 32 is not unintentionallyexposed. Again, the seal may be achieved via various techniquesincluding, but not limited to, heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, gluing,etc. By forming a line or area of reduced strength 38 in the reclosingflap 30, a consumer may easily separate the reclosing flap 30 from themain bag portion 31 or another portion of the reclosing flap 30 to movethe reclosing flap 30 from the passive position to the active position.

In an exemplary embodiment, a method of reclosing a product 50 in a bagincludes providing a bag for reclosing a product 50 therein. In theexample, the bag includes a first ply 12 joined to a second ply 14. Incertain embodiments, the first and second plies 12,14 may be twoseparate plies, or a single ply that is folded. The joined first ply 12and second ply 14 define a main bag portion 31 having a compartment 20including a first side 22, a second side 24, a third side 26 thatextends between the first side 22 and the second side 24, and a productreceiving opening 28. A reclosing flap 30 is connected to or on the mainbag portion 31, such as at or on the third side 26, and is spaced apartfrom the product receiving opening 28. As previously discussed, areclosing material 32 is applied to the bag 10 and a release material 34is applied to the bag 10. The reclosing material 32 and the releasematerial 34 are arranged such that the reclosing material 32 releasablyadheres to the release material 34. The bag also includes a bag openingzone 40 formed in or on the main bag portion 31 proximate the reclosingflap 30.

A next step in the exemplary method includes loading a product 50 intothe compartment 20 through the product receiving opening 28. The loadingstep may be performed manually or via an automated process. After theproduct 50 is loaded into the compartment 20, the next step in themethod includes sealing the first ply 12 to the second ply 14 to closethe product receiving opening 28. As previously mentioned, the sealingstep may be performed utilizing various techniques known to those ofskill in the art including, but not limited to, heat sealing, ultrasonicwelding, gluing, etc.

In a further step of the exemplary method, the bag opening zone 40 isbroken or otherwise opened to create a product retrieval opening 44 topermit retrieval of the product 50 from the compartment 20. After theproduct 50 is removed from the compartment 20, the consumer may inspectthe product 50 and may decide to return the product 50 to the seller fora variety of reasons. Thus, in a further step of the method, the product50 is returned to the compartment 20 through the product retrievalopening 44. After the product 50 is returned to the compartment 20, thereclosing flap 30 may be moved to separate the reclosing material 32from the release material 34 to expose the reclosing material 32. Next,the reclosing flap 30 may be moved such that the reclosing material 32adheres to a portion of the bag 10 and the product retrieval opening 44is covered to reclose the product 50 within the compartment 20.

Although the methods disclosed herein have been described with aparticular order of steps, any one or more of the steps may be omittedand/or the order of the steps may be changed without departing from thespirit and the scope of the disclosed methods. Moreover, any one or moreof the steps may be carried out manually or via an automated processutilizing various packaging machines and equipment known to those ofskill in the art.

It should be understood that the embodiments discussed above arerepresentative of aspects of the invention and are provided as examplesand not an exhaustive description of implementations of an aspect of theinvention.

While various aspects of the invention are described and illustratedherein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, thesevarious aspects may be realized in many alternative embodiments, eitherindividually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof.Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations andsub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the presentinvention. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as tothe various aspects and features of the invention, such as alternativematerials, structures, configurations, methods, devices, and so on maybe described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a completeor exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whetherpresently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readilyadopt one or more of the aspects, concepts or features of the inventioninto additional embodiments within the scope of the present inventioneven if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein.Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of theinvention may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement ormethod, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature isrequired or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further,exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assistin understanding the present invention however, such values and rangesare not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to becritical values or ranges only if so expressly stated.

1-7. (canceled)
 8. A method of forming a reclosable bag containing aproduct comprising: joining a first ply to a second ply to define a mainbag portion having a compartment including a first side, a second side,a third side that extends between the first side and the second side, aproduct receiving opening, and a reclosing flap that is connected to thethird side and is spaced apart from the product receiving opening;applying a reclosing material to the bag; applying a release material tothe bag; forming a bag opening zone in the main bag portion proximatethe reclosing flap; moving the reclosing flap to bring the reclosingmaterial into contact with the release material; loading a product intothe compartment through the product receiving opening; and sealing theproduct receiving opening after the product has been loaded into thecompartment.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sealing aportion of the reclosing flap to one of the first ply, the second ply,or another portion of the reclosing flap, and forming a line of reducedstrength in the reclosing flap.
 10. The method of claim 9, furthercomprising sealing the reclosing flap to both the first ply and thesecond ply.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of applying thereclosing material is performed by printing the reclosing material ontothe bag.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of applying therelease material is performed by printing the release material onto thebag.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the reclosing material is apressure sensitive adhesive selected from the group consisting of anacrylic based adhesive, a methacrylate based adhesive, a polyurethanebased adhesive, a rubber based adhesive, a styrene copolymer basedadhesive, a silicone based adhesive, and combinations thereof.
 14. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the release material is a chemical releasematerial selected from the group consisting of polyacrylates,carbamates, polyolefins, fluorocarbons, chromium stearate complexes,silicones, and combinations thereof.
 15. The method of claim 8, whereinthe first ply and the second ply comprise a material selected from thegroup consisting of polyethylene, cellophane, vinyl films, pliofilms,cellulose acetate film, polystyrene, polypropylene, and combinationsthereof. 16-20. (canceled)
 21. A method of reclosing a product in a bagcomprising: providing a bag that comprises: a first ply, a second plyjoined to the first ply to define a main bag portion having a top end, abottom end, a compartment, and a product receiving opening at the topend; a reclosing flap connected to the main bag portion at the bottomend; a reclosing material applied to the bag; a release material appliedto the bag, wherein the reclosing material and the release material arearranged such that the reclosing material releasably adheres to therelease material; and a bag opening zone formed in the main bag portionproximate the reclosing flap; loading a product into the compartmentthrough the product receiving opening; sealing the first ply to thesecond ply to close the product receiving opening; opening the bagopening zone to create a product retrieval opening to permit retrievalof the product from the compartment; returning the product to thecompartment through the product retrieval opening; moving the reclosingflap to separate the reclosing material from the release material toexpose the reclosing material; and moving the reclosing flap such thatthe reclosing material adheres to a portion of the bag and the productretrieval opening is covered to reclose the compartment.
 22. The methodof claim 21 wherein the reclosing flap includes a distal end that isconnected to at least one of the first ply, the second ply, or anotherportion of the reclosing flap.
 23. The method of claim 22 furthercomprises separating the distal end of the reclosing flap from the atleast one of the first ply, the second ply, or another portion of thereclosing flap.
 24. The method of claim 22 wherein the distal end isconnected to both the first ply and the second ply.
 25. The method ofclaim 22 wherein the distal end is connected to another portion of thereclosing flap.
 26. The method of claim 21 wherein the product retrievalopening is between the release material and the reclosing material. 27.The method of claim 21 wherein the reclosing material and the releasematerial are positioned on the reclosing flap.
 28. The method of claim21 wherein the release material is applied to the main bag portion at afirst location and moving the reclosing flap such that the reclosingmaterial adheres to a portion of the bag further comprises the reclosingmaterial adhering to the main bag portion at a second location that isdifferent than the first location.
 29. The method of claim 21 whereinthe compartment defines a fillable volume when the reclosing material isreleasably adhered to the release material, and wherein moving thereclosing flap such that the reclosing material adheres to a portion ofthe bag and the product retrieval opening is covered to reclose thecompartment does not decrease the fillable volume of the compartment.30. The method of claim 21 wherein the reclosing flap covers the bagopening zone when the reclosing material is releasably adhered to therelease material.